Corps to the Core
Semper Fi Joe An old High School buddy and Marine Vietnam Vet, Joe Massaro, has loaned me this piece for the show. It was painted in 1968, the year that I had joined the Corps. After 46 years, I have decided to title it. (Not for Sale) More Notes Dust off The term “...
Pencil Drawings for Hotel Co. 2nd Bn, 7th Marines
These images are the proposed etching designs for an upcoming...
“My Space”
This set is titled ‘My Space’. With the current war raging on, memories of my Vietnam experience continue to surface. One night I went into the studio with a troubled mind. These pieces were the result of that time spent, defining those...
“Honor” (Self-Portrait)
Significant to my self-portrait in the painting is the eagle feather, with its stem beaded in the colors of the Vietnam Campaign medal. I was a Marine Corps rifleman in Vietnam. Some friendships developed into something even deeper than brotherhood. One such bond was...
“O. P. Frisco” (1998)
Commissioned by one of the two survivors of the 29 Marines overrun by over 300 Chinese Troops in Korea on October 6th, 1952. In the collection of the Marine Corps Historical Museum in Washington, D.C.
“Deceit” (c.1982)
This is one of the many works on the POW/MIA issue, done both to raise public awareness and out of sheer frustration. As a Vietnam Veteran, I feel very strongly about the Americans still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. [This work] is about the cover-ups and lies...
“POW” (1994)
The emaciated figure in this painting holds out a bowl. Although he is dependant on his captors for food, the look in his eyes is that of defiance. In the Naval & Serviceman’s Park Museum, Buffalo, NY.
“Suicide” (c.1982)
The broken image reflects the anguish in one’s heart before taking his own life. It was done in about the time it takes to squeeze the trigger. It’s one of the fastest pieces I’ve ever put together. Two fellow employees of the Buffalo Veteran’s...
Book Cover Art
This picture was used for the cover of the book Soldier’s Heart: Survivors’ View of Combat Trauma (Hansel, Steidle, Zaczek, & Zaczek, Sidran Press). Some of the above images can be found within the book in black and white.
“Crucifixion / Nam” (1981)
Once, in Vietnam during the early morning hours, while our unit was not far from our rear base, LZ Ross, we could see the compound coming under attack. The area was lit up with tracer rounds, pop-up flares, and incoming fire. We were told to move in on foot and...